Who I am
by hanae lee
Summary: Hyeonmi believes she was destined to be an earthbender instead of an airbender and sets out to Republic City to look for a teacher. Soon enough, she meets an earthbender in the most unlikely place and she soon discovers who she was really meant to be. OCxBolin. Rating may change depending on what direction I decide to take things. hee.
1. Chapter 1

"Good morning, girls," says a soft voice. "Time to get up. Morning meditation begins soon." I open my eyes to see Nun Shiran standing in the doorway, light flooding from the outside.

"Not again," I groan, pulling the quilt over my head. Above me, I hear a giggle.

"You're so silly, Hyeonmi. We have morning meditation every day!" There's nothing better than the laugh of Kamala to get me moving in the morning. I smile and stick my hand out from under the covers to give her hair a ruffle. I tousle her hair blindly, pop out of the covers and tickle her playfully. Her laugh is loud and childlike and squeaky; the best in the world.

"Hyeonmi!" hisses Nun Shiran, her face suddenly turning sour. I stop and see all of the other young girls staring at me, the same looks of disapproval on their faces. I know they love me to pieces, though. "You're like this every single morning! You're already sending Kamala down the wrong path, and I will not have you do the same to our other girls! One more slip-up and I'll see to it that you're in a room by yourself." She turns swiftly, and a gust of wind slams the door shut.

Kamala's face falls, her grey eyes big and glassy. She gives me a small squeeze and says, "Try to be good, Hyeonmi. You're like my big sister… you're like everyone's big sister! I don't want you to be lonely in a room all by yourself." The other girls walk over and hug me, agreeing with the small girl sitting in front of me to try and keep my composure for once. I'm the oldest in the room by far, but it doesn't mean that I'm the most disciplined. I'm still just a level six airbender, treated like a child with the rest of them. Fortunately, I've gained a lot of little sisters in the process.

I sigh and say, "Alright girls, I'll try my hardest. Now, let's get those mops on your head fixed up for the day." Almost immediately, all nineteen girls line up in front of me, and I style their hair into various braids, buns, and ponytails, glad to have a lighthearted moment after the fiasco moments earlier. When I finish, I pull my dark hair into two ponytails on opposing sides of my head, throw on my yellow pants and shirt, and tie my sienna cape around my shoulders. Once all the other girls are ready to go, we stride out the door. They crowd around me like turtle ducklings as we head to the meditation pavilion. There, the rest of the kids and Nun Shiran are already at it. I feel the cool Yue Bay breeze rush over me as I sit down on the wood floor and stare out at the ocean and Republic City. I glance at Kamala to see if she's looking, too, but she's already deep in meditation.

I close my eyes and breathe deeply. I listen to the waves as a million thoughts run through my head. I try to do what the monks and nuns told me: Breathe in four counts, hold two counts, and breathe out sharply through the mouth. I hear the other kids breathing calmly, but I just can't do it. I'm too nervous to meditate. I can't afford another screw-up. I can't afford to not be with even the youngest of airbenders. _Clear your mind, _I think over and over. One by one, my thoughts disappear. I keep having thoughts about how excited I am that I'm doing it, that I'm actually meditating, but that really defeats the purpose.

After some time, I feel someone poke my shoulder. I open my eyes groggily and moan, a bit upset that I've been taken out of my meditative state. "Hyeonmi? You've been out here for hours. You missed breakfast, but I brought you an egg and toast." Of course, it's Kamala.

"Thanks, Kamala." I ruffle her hair again, messing up her braid, and take a bite of my bread.

"So, did you actually meditate?" she says, tugging on her hair. "And can you fix this when you finish eating?"

I laugh and keep the toast in my mouth, motioning her to sit in front of me. I quickly plait her hair, take my breakfast out of my mouth, and reply, "Yeah, I did. It took awhile, but I finally got there!"

She grins. "I'm so glad! Maybe you can finally start speeding up your airbending training!"

I lay on my back and frown, taking a bite of my food. "See, here's the thing. I've been thinking, Kamala…"

She leans over me and stares right into my face. "About what?"

"I've been thinking about my parents. My mom's an earthbender, my dad's an airbender, and, well… As soon as I was born, I was practically thrust into the world of airbending! Do I look like an airbender to you?" I shoot straight up and glare at her long and hard with a ridiculously angry frown. Of course I don't look like an airbender. I've got green eyes, tan skin, and I stick out like a sore thumb here on Air Temple Island.

My dumb expression sends Kamala into a fit of giggles. "No, you don't! And you don't act like one either!"

"See? That's my point! So maybe I'm _not_ an airbender after all!" Kamala raises an eyebrow, her smile disappearing. "Maybe my parents made a mistake! All my life I've been so conflicted over bending the element I've been raised around. But me and air… We just don't work together at all. I ought to try earthbending! I mean, can you imagine me finally fitting in and being good at something? What's the harm in trying to bend another element, right?"

Kamala frowns. "I don't know about that, Hyeonmi. I don't think someone with two different benders for parents can bend both elements. I mean, you might as well be The Avatar."

"I'm not saying both! Just earthbending! Don't you think I could switch?" I say this with a tinge of hurt in my voice. I don't want to hear that this isn't possible. Kamala can't be right.

"I don't know, Hyeonmi. I've seen you airbend. Can't you just be content-"

I immediately cut her off. "Are you saying that it's not worth a shot? That I should just sit by and be 'happy' that I can make little puffs of air or a stupid little tornado in the palm of my hand? Are you saying that maybe I'm just slower than every other airbender in existence? I'm about nine years behind where I should be! That's ridiculous, Kamala! Tell me that I should just meditate and not eat meat and make the wind move like the rest of you instead of going for what I really want!"

Kamala's eyes narrow. She clenches her fists tightly and says articulately, "You are _not _an earthbender. You never will be an earthbender. It's. Not. Possible."

"You don't know _anything! _You're six years old!" I shout, tugging on my pigtails in frustration.

"You need to stop _acting _like you're six years old! Quit telling me what I know and don't know! I don't care if you're older than me! You still have to train with all the baby airbenders, and _that's _saying something!" She blows a sharp gust of wind in my face and I flinch, taken aback.

"Yeah, it's saying that I'm not really an airbender and that I need to get off of this island," I growl, taking a bite of my toast and leaving the pavillion. That wasn't the greatest comeback, but I can't think of anything else right now. I've been bested by a six year old. I truly am pathetic.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thanks for the kind reviews, everyone! I'll try my hardest to keep it interesting (': Also, this one's a bit long! Don't fall asleep on me…. I'll try to update as much as I can, but I'm pretty slow when it comes to writing. Enjoy!

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From somewhere on Air Temple Island today, the wailing of an erhu and a strong voice can be heard if you walk near the shed where they keep the training equipment. Of course, that whining erhu and singing is from me. I feel like the instrument is my only connection to the outside world. An old Fire Nation reporter came to Air Temple Island when I was very young. He brought this with him and would play it for us kids. However, he left it when he returned to Republic City. I remember one of the monks tried to return it to him, but he had died by the time they got there. They threw it in the shed, finding no use for it, but I couldn't tame my curiosity. I've been playing the erhu ever since, my loud voice accompanying me. Today, my fingers slide across the neck of the instrument, my fingers trembling with vibrato as I play a rapid, rage-filled folk song. I could get in so much trouble for this. I know the monks and nuns hate this instrument and my voice. But I don't care. I'm leaving soon anyway.

Next to me are some fruit tarts I swiped from the kitchen. I usually eat about two or three when I'm feeling down. When I finish the song, I finish off a tart, the purple jam tasting saccharine on my tongue. I look up to find Kamala, looking more exhausted and defeated than I've ever seen. "What's up?" I ask, concerned about her condition and pushing away all thoughts of our fight earlier. Playing the erhu helped me get all of my feelings out.

Kamala starts to cry. "I-I'm really sorry I said those things to you," she says between sniffles. "Please don't go!" She gives me a half-tackle, half-hug, the sound box of the erhu digging into my stomach.

I stroke her hair and try to subdue her cries. "Kamala, please don't cry. I thought long and hard about what you said, and maybe you're right." She looks up at me, her eyes looking like rain clouds. "But I still need to follow my dream." She throws a light punch at my cheek and steals one of my fruit tarts. "Thief!" I shout. Kamala snickers and takes a bite of the dessert.

"That's what you get for leaving me," she mumbles.

"Hey, I'll still visit," I say, touching her arm.

"Can you visit tomorrow?" She says this with so much excitement I can't help but laugh.

"I'll try my best." I plant a kiss on her forehead and open the door to the shed, grabbing a glider and the erhu case. "I should probably leave now, while we're on the subject." Kamala sees that I have a glider in my hand and looks at me, puzzled.

"You can't glide!" she gasps.

"I've got to try. How else am I going to get to Republic City?"

Kamala crosses her arms. "See? This is just going against what you're saying! You want to be an earthbender and yet you're using airbending to get across Yue Bay!" I frown at this.

"But see, I'm not learning how to earthbend yet! I can still use my airbending before I, uh, switch over… All that matters is that I'm going to learn how to earthbend now, okay?" She sighs. There's no way she's going to get through to me. I stuff my erhu into the case and set my glider on the ground. "Come here." I spread my arms wide and Kamala jumps into them, clinging to me tightly. "I'll miss you so much," I whisper.

"Be careful, okay?" Kamala says. "And come back if things don't work out."

"I'll make sure of that," I lie. There's no way I'll show my face again around these parts, especially after I leave. I fasten the case around my shoulders, open my glider, and with a push of the wind, I'm flying. (Not very smoothly, mind you.) I look back and see Kamala waving and jumping. She shouts something, but I can't hear her.

I stare down at the bay as I glide shakily. This is harder than I thought. In fact, I'm pretty bad at this. I realise that with every few seconds, I'm slowly lowering to the water. Great. I try to use air to push myself up, but that only causes my glider to flip over and send me into the sea. I feel a rush of panic spread over me as I gasp for air and find that I inhale water instead. I can't swim! I push myself towards the surface, trying to use airbending to help me stay afloat, but to no avail. In a frenzy, I kick my legs and move my arms, and that seems to work. My erhu case is making things increasingly difficult, but without it, I can't make money for food. I glance around in every direction until I spot the glider floating peacefully with the waves. With a small gust of air, it makes its way over to me and I desperately cling to it, kicking my legs to the shore.

When I reach the sand, the sun is beginning to set. I collapse on the shore, my legs overwhelmingly sore. My ears perk at the sound of voices and footsteps running in my direction. I stare at a young, friendly looking couple. "Well, I'll be! An airbender! There's none in Republic City! You okay, sweetheart?" asks the woman. I give her a sad smile and shake my head, my chin rubbing into the grainy sand. "Looks like things didn't go too well for you on your way across the bay. Did your glider break?"

After I cough up a few liters of water, I respond with a hoarse voice, "I'm not an airbender, actually. My parents made a mistake. I'm an earthbender and I came to Republic City to learn how to bend my element. I just used the glider to float over here. Yeah." The couple raises their eyebrows.

"What an interesting situation! Well, neither of us happen to be earthbenders, but we can at least offer you a place to stay for the night. The Triads like to come out after the sun goes down, and I'd hate to see you get hurt," says the man, extending a hand. I pull myself up, dusting the sand off my wet clothes.

I bow in gratitude. "Thank you, sir. Ma'am. My name is Hyeonmi."

"My name is Nanami, and this is my husband, Tazo," says the woman. "Our house is back the other way. It's not a far walk and it's right on the beach, so you won't have to worry about it being too far." I smile in response.

We begin the short walk to the home, when Nanami asks, "If you're an earthbender, why were you on Air Temple Island?"

I fiddled with my erhu case, letting the water drip out. I grimace at how much pours onto the sand as I say, "My dad was an airbender. My parents assumed that I would be just like him, I guess, and dumped me there. I don't really remember them, so I can't track them down as much as I'd love to. I don't even know my last name."

"Oh," she remarks tensely, studying me for a prolonged amount of time.

"Don't worry about it," I assure her. "They had good intentions. I just need to find out who I really am."

"Well, this is our place!" Tazo shouts abruptly, lifting a hand towards a quaint, two story beach house on stilts. It seems to radiate homey atmosphere.

"I love it," I say, a bit taken aback from the sudden change of topic. "Is it really that amazing to live right on the beach?"

The couple nods in unison. "We saved and saved and it was worth every yuan! Right, sweetie?" Nanami smiles at her husband before she hops up the steps into the house, with Tazo and me following closely behind.

Their house is one large, open room. Near the door is a kitchen and a closed off section, presumably the bathroom. The rest of the space is used as a sitting and dining room, and a spiral staircase leads to a loft. "How charming," I sigh.

"The bathroom is just on your right. You can wash up in there and I'll give you some clean clothes. You didn't bring anything with you, right?" asks Nanami, and I blush when I realise she's right.

"Just my erhu," I confirm bashfully. "Hopefully I'll be able to make money if I play in a busy area."

"It's gotten all wet, though," Tazo remarks.

"Yeah, I'll have to clean it off so it doesn't rust… I hope it's not ruined!"

"I can do it while you wash off," he says with a smile. "I'm a firebender, and we used to play these quite a bit back in my day. I'd love to hear you play some time." I mirror his expression in response as I hand him my erhu case.

I bow again and Nanami hands me a small pile of fresh clothes. "Dinner will be ready hopefully when you're finished. You don't eat meat, right?"

I'm a little surprised that she knows about this. "That's right," I say. "How did you know?"

"Neither did Avatar Aang," she replies with a smile. "He was an Air Nomad."

"My wife's a history buff," Tazo chimes in, pointing to the large bookshelf next to the dining table. Nanami giggles at this and walks over to the kitchen, grabbing a wok from one of the cabinets. That's probably my cue to wash up. I push the bathroom door open and study my surroundings.

It's all one room, with a cheap-looking curtain dividing the bath from the toilet and sink. The only light comes from a large window next to the toilet. I turn the faucet on and undress, sand falling off my body as I peel off my wet clothes. When I finish undressing, I take my quick bath, and soaking wet, I examine the clothing Nanami gave to me. They're nothing special: a minty green tunic with a brown sash and high collar and a pair of white, soft pants. I smile at the colour of the tunic. I throw on the clothes on and look at myself in the mirror above the sink. The tunic compliments my skin perfectly. Hopefully, I won't have to see those airbending clothes again. I toss them out the window next to the toilet and they land conveniently in a bush. I brush my hair with my fingers and step outside, and scents of curry waft through my nostrils. "Smells great, Nanami," I say.

"Thankyou, Hyeonmi. Those clothes look great on you. I look awful in green," she replies, her cheeks turning red.

"I'm sure that's not true!" I say defensively. I hear a laugh from Tazo drift from one of the couches in the room. Nanami rolls her eyes and hands me a bowl of curry and rice.

"I hope you like bell peppers."

"Love them," I confirm as I take a seat at the table and start to eat. The food is spicy but delicious, and I empty the bowl and grab seconds before the couple sits down to eat.

"Tazo, are you going to the pro-bending tournament tonight?" Nanami asks her husband as she sits down.

"Probably. People say that it's gonna be a good one tonight. I believe it's the Kolau Komodo Rhinos versus the Capital City Catgators? He hands me my erhu and I bow my head in thanks. "Your erhu should be fine, by the way. If you have any problems with it, I'd be happy to help or get you a new one."

I lay it down on the floor next to me and ask, "What's pro-bending?"

"It's a sport where teams of fire, water, and earthbenders try to push each other out of this ring that's surrounded by water… I'll make sure to take you sometime. Hey, why don't we all go tonight?"

"I don't know, dear. I'm positive Hyeonmi needs her rest after her journey over to Republic City."

"That's right," I agree. "I also wanted to talk to Nanami about something, considering she knows so much about the city." She glances at me with the mention of her name. "But I'll go some other time! I bet I could find an earthbender teacher over there."

Tazo shrugs. "Suit yourself. Speaking of which-" he checks his watch- "I should be going." He kisses his wife's forehead and heads out the door without another word.

Nanami sighs and shakes her head. "He didn't even touch his food! That man is really passionate about his pro-bending. Anyway, what was it you wanted to ask me?"

"Your husband said something about the… Triad? What's that?"

Nanami smiles enthusiastically. "Ah, yes! The Triple Threat Triad! They're basically a gang that likes to mess with the citizens of the city. They usually don't come over to this part of town, but there are a few other Triads that do… We just wouldn't want you to be stuck in that situation all by yourself. It's not a thing to worry about, really. So… Hyeonmi, how long are you planning to stay?"

"Huh? Oh! I was actually planning on leaving tomorrow morning. I've gotta make some money, find a teacher… All that stuff." Nanami frowns. "I hate to be a burden, especially in such a small house! But… I can visit, if that makes you happy."

"It just worries me to see someone so young running around the city by herself," Nanami says sadly, her amber eyes looking straight into her curry. "You could get hurt, Hyeonmi!"

"You've really got a mother's instinct," I comment. "I can't say I know how to take care of myself, but I really need to focus without all the distractions of just lounging around your beach house! I'd feel horrible. I didn't come to Republic City to vacation, right?"

Nanami sighs. "I suppose. Just… be careful out there, alright? And if you need anything, anything at all, we're right here, okay? I should probably get you a map of the city or something…" She stands up from the table and heads over to her bookshelf, rummaging through the pieces of literature.

"Nanami, please!" I say with a laugh.

"No, Hyeonmi, I know this city better than anyone. Trust me on this!" She runs back to the table with a pen and paper in one hand, and an atlas in the other. She begins drawing a map. "Okay, our house is here. If you're looking to make money with that erhu, you should probably go to Central City Station over here… It's a bit of a walk, but if you take a shortcut through the park, I'm sure you'll be fine. The pro-bending arena is just a few blocks from our house, so if you ever want to stop by after a tournament, our doors are always open for you."

"Okay, Nanami. Whatever you say." She rolls her eyes at my carefree tone.

"I'm just trying to help," she groans.

Hours pass and before I know it, I'm lying on the couch, trying to fall asleep. I have no clue why Nanami is so attached to me, especially after only knowing her a few hours. Could something have happened in her past where she was abandoned by her parents and she relates to me in a way where she was wandering the streets, trying to find out who she really was, like me? Did she make some mistakes when she was on her own and doesn't want me to do the same? I make the decision to visit after I find a good teacher and learn what happened to Nanami. It's going to bother me for the time being, but right now, I feel like I have more important things to worry about.


End file.
